BBC Weather forecast: BRUTAL SNOW STORM set to hit Britain on Bank Holiday Monday
BBC WEATHER forecast warned Britons to prepare for a violent storm battering the country over the Easter weekend bringing "disruptive heavy snow" threatening to cut off rural areas and bring possible power failures.
BBC warns of HEAVY SNOW due to hit UK on Easter Monday
Forecasters have dashed the hopes of millions of Britons wishing for a sunny break with the warning of a fresh deluge of snow carpeting the country over Easter weekend.
BBC Weather expects the Midlands, Wales, Northern England, Southern Scotland and Northern Ireland to take the brunt of the violent storm.
BBC Weather forecaster Matt Taylor said: "By the end of Easter Sunday it will be rain in Devon and Cornwall. As that pushes its way northwards into Easter Monday it could well turn into some heavy snow at times – anywhere from the Midlands, Wales northwards into Northern England, Southern Scotland, and Northern Ireland in particular.
"Snow not just over the hills, we could see some snow at lower levels too blown around by some pretty strong winds as well.
"If you are planning to be on the move on Monday, please keep checking the forecast because that snow could be disruptive in places.
"To the south of the snow, we’ll have milder weather with outbreaks of rain in Southern England. To the North of it pretty cold. Northern Scotland avoid the worst of the weather, not just on Monday but through this weekend with the West Highlands being the driest and brightest overall."
The incoming snowstorm pushed the Met Office into issuing a yellow warning in place throughout Monday for London; the East Midlands; south-east England; south-west England; the northeast; the northwest; the West Midlands; Wales and Yorkshire.
The Met Office said: "There is a small chance of travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel."
UK weather latest: SNOW heading for Britain over Easter
As that pushes its way northwards into Easter Monday it could well turn into some heavy snow at times
"There is a slight chance that some rural communities could be cut off.
"There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected."
Met Office chief forecaster Dan Suri said the wintery weather could cause travel delays and disruption to air and railway services.
He said: “As a weather system moves in from the south and comes up against cold air over the UK, there is the chance that rain could turn to heavy snow in places.
“Several centimetres of snow are possible, especially over hills, with drifting in strong winds. There is also the possibility of a few cms of wet snow gathering at lower levels."
“At present, the extent and amounts of any snow are very uncertain, and it is quite possible that snow might not be too disruptive. There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off.”
Overnight temperatures could sink to -10C (14F) in parts bringing harsh frosts and icy roads as daytime highs hover below average, experts warn.
Swathes of the country are braced for power cuts, loss of mobile phone signals and disruption to public services due to the weather.
Strong winds will whip up deep snow drifts with several inches of the white stuff now expected to blanket swathes of the country.
The changing weather pushed bookmaker Coral to slash odds to 1-4 for snow falling over Easter weekend.
Coral's John Hill said: "It does not look like we are out of woods yet with the Best from the East as we are long odds-on for snow to fall during the Easter weekend, while we are not ruling out the white stuff coming down later in April too."
Torrential downpours on Monday morning will turn to heavy and persistent snow through the day as the storm meets freezing air wedged over Britain.
Families travelling away for the long weekend should cheeks forecasts and prepare for disruption on some roads.
Meteorologist Martin Bowles said: “In terms of the forecast, Monday has clearly changed and there is now more of a risk of snowfall.
“Model runs have changed from earlier in the week and there could now be quite a bit of snow in some places; the latest models have picked up a strong risk for snow.
“Where there are impacts from this they could be significant and we could see snow to low levels for a time.”
The Met Office has urged people to take extra care as the wintery weather conditions increase the likelihood of travel chaos, including the stranded vehicles as well as delayed or cancelled rail and air travel.
Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden said violent bursts of thunder with heavy snowfall will trigger explosive outbreaks of ‘thundersnow’.
Heavy rain forecast from today will gradually turn to snow through the coming days putting most of the country on alert, he warned.